Thursday, May 23, 2013

The "Histeria" of our Wisteria

 Talk about perseverance. Our wisteria knows the meaning of the word well. We're not even sure where we got it. My aunt in Miamisburg thinks it's a start from their plant; Mom thinks she bought it.

 "We had the start from Mae's wisteria in the yard in Moraine," Mom said. We lived there only from 1980 through 1986. To see a picture of Mae's wisteria in 2008, click here.

 After moving to Pinehaven, we somehow acquired another. Trouble is, after planting it we invariably found we did not like it in the chosen spot and moved it. There's nothing more disruptive to a flowering vine than being moved, especially multiple times.

 Then, two years ago, the plant was finally putting out blossoms. On the night Dad died we had a terrific storm blow through and it toppled the pole that the plant was growing on. To see that disaster, click here.

 I removed the broken pole, trimmed the wisteria back to a few substantial sprouts and left it to grow in the same spot (I'm sure I heard a word of thanks from the plant). Last year we had lots of greenery. This year we have six buds.

May 7

May 18

 The buds, in this early stage, remind me of hops used in beer production. You can see the individual flowers, each held tightly encased in their own sheath.
 Wisteria, by the way, is a member of the pea family (figure that one out) and is named in memory of Dr. Caspar Wistar (1761-1818) or perhaps Charles Jones Wister, Sr. (both of Philadelphia). The plant is often spelled Wistaria.

May 20

 As shown above, just a few days ago, the buds began to open. The purple flowers can be seen emerging on the bottom and the entire bud stretching and preparing for its traditional dangling, grape-like structure.

May 22

 Yesterday the blossom first took on the traditional appearance of wisteria. If this is the same as my aunts, the color will deepen to more of a purple as time passes and the flower matures.

Updates:

 May 24

May 25


No comments:

Post a Comment